There is so much to love about the little, remote town of Steamboat Springs, sitting comfortably in the Yampa Valley at the foot of Mount Werner, three or so hours northwest of Denver in northern Colorado. At 7,000 feet above sea level, the region is so named because the bubbling of natural hot springs resembled the sound of a steamboat coming down the river, back when French trappers first arrived in the early 1800s.

The gold rush of the 1860s opened up this part of the country, paving the way for ranchers and settlers. And ever since Norwegian Carl Howelsen came to town circa 1910 and awoke an interest in ski jumping and recreational skiing, Steamboat Springs has been a thriving community that eats, sleeps and breathes skiing. More than 70 people from the region have competed in the Olympics in the past century.

Though half a million people descend on the amazing ski resort that sits just at the edge of town each year, the easy-going, country charm of the area remains. Eloping or honeymooning, you can't get any more romantic than this. Check out Steamboat.com for more inside intel.